Little Warriors of Asgard
by AlyCat20
Summary: Young Asgardian princes Thor and Loki both strive to be great and powerful people in their future, people to be honored by all of Asgard. However, their differences would affect their chances of doing just that. It would also affect their relationship with each other, and it will test whether or not they can still act like brothers at the end of the day. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello, fellow Marvel fans! I have been burdened with glorious purpose... my purpose is to share this story with you guys! During my life-consuming hype for Infinity War (Am I mad? Possibly), I suddenly got inspired to write this short story. I'm also giving credit to my best friend, who I will only name here as V, who helped me edit it to polish anything before publishing. This is my first Marvel fanfic, so I hope you enjoy it! (Before you read, having seen the movie Thor is required, and having seen Thor: The Dark World is highly recommended.)**

* * *

Little Warriors of Asgard~ Part One

 _Somewhere deep in the universe, an entire realm away from ours, there sat the prestigious kingdom of Asgard, a kingdom filled with godlike warriors and powerful rulers of legend. Except unlike legends, they did in fact exist, their stories merely misinterpreted by our ancestors of Midgard. Now in Asgard, a veil of night studded with countless stars spread over the kingdom, as three pairs of eyes from a golden palace gazed upon the celestial bodies. And the people whom these eyes belonged to would someday be of very important legend indeed..._

"Mother, look!" A child's tiny finger from a balcony pointed up towards the sky. His neck craned upward as his chin was just under the height of the balcony's railing.

Frigga, the mother whom the young boy was referring to, was reclining in a comfortable chair in the room adjoining the balcony. In her arms and lap rested a small toddler with a tuft of black hair and vibrant green eyes. These viridian gems were revealed as his eyelids fluttered open at the sudden motion of his mother rising from her seat. Frigga gently adjusted her younger son onto her hip as she slowly advanced towards the older on the balcony.

"Yes, Thor," she began. "That up there is the great expanse of the universe. Those stars are actually at the centers of many revolving planets, billions of them."

"Wow," Thor mused.

Frigga smiled down at the blond's glittering blue eyes and asked, "Would you like to hear a story?"

The toddler's head perked up at this question, any signs of his previous slumber ebbing away. He enjoyed his mother's stories, as did Thor, who exclaimed, "Yes!"

The queen looked upon her dark-haired son and said, "And Loki has awoken just in time." She turned her gaze towards the night sky and continued, "When the tree of the universe Yggdrasil formed, there was a reason for the certain number of stars that were created. Because Asgard was the realm that ruled above all the other realms, the creators of the cosmos decided to light the sky with stars that would honor the Asgardians. Every star up there represents a fallen great Asgardian, such as warriors and leaders. The stars stand for those who have passed on, and for those who one day will pass. They know the exact number of great people that there would have been by the end of time. They show us this so we won't lose hope of a better future. There have been many wonderful people in this realm's history, but not enough where each star above our heads has an owner. Because of this fact, we can rest assured that even throughout all of our hard times, there is always a bright hope that we can hold on to faithfully. ...Look. There," she pointed out a particularly bright star, "is the star that represents your grandfather Bor."

The two princes stared in awe at the miniscule pricks of light above them, pondering the fact that all of them belonged to a special Asgardian. Thor then questioned, "Will one of those stars belong to me?"

"If you prove yourself worthy, then I do not see why you or Loki would not deserve one," Frigga answered. "Only fate can decide in the end."

They eventually fell silent as they all took in the grand view of the kingdom. It was a peaceful night, free of any threats for the time being. As Loki peered down at the buildings occupied with sleeping Asgardians below, he made a silent vow. He promised himself that he would become a great and powerful man, one that would accomplish amazing feats. He felt that he was able to do this, but his only concern was…

"Will they like me?" He mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Frigga managed to hear this. "Hm?" Her eyes followed the direction Loki was looking in. "Oh, you mean our people. I believe they will love you for what you will do for them."

Loki nodded once, but he still felt somehow that his question did not receive a complete answer. Would he really be appreciated for who he is? Dwelling upon this thought soon grew tiring, and he eventually began to drift off again. He heard Frigga whisper, "Come now, 'tis time you go to bed. You as well, Thor."

Neither of the boys had any objections to this as Thor headed for his bedroom, and Loki fell asleep with his ear pressed against Frigga's shoulder, soothed by the rhythm of her mild heartbeat.

* * *

 _Many years later..._

"Back, ye savage! Yield, I say!" A young voice bellowed.

Two wooden swords clashed against each other time and time again, the wielder of either weapon refusing to surrender the battle.

"I most certainly shall not!" Another child's voice spat back. Even though he was no taller than the waist of a palace guard who had passed by as he said this, his youth did not hinder his determination to defeat his rival who was over a head taller than him.

The sunlight shining through the windows of the golden palace beamed down on the head of the first combatant, making his swaying blond hair resemble a lick of fire. The light reflected off the other boy's eyes, illuminating in them the unbridled passion and even hints of underlying chaotic conflict as he fought fiercely. The two children traveled through the halls and into different rooms, never once turning away from each other during their duel.

"What you most certainly shall never do is defeat me, the best warrior and protector of Asgard!" Thor proclaimed.

Loki began to pant and sweat as Thor was gradually winning. He tried to make his older brother lose focus by asking, "Why must I always be the bad guy, anyway?"

Thor laughed aloud as he swung at Loki, the latter boy barely managing to dodge the blow. "Because, dear brother, I am the mighty Thor, son of Odin, and future king of Asgard!" He announced proudly.

As Loki brandished his weapon, he attempted to also retaliate with speech, "Well, I am the brilliant Loki, also son of Odin, and... and..." for once in his short life, he found himself at a loss for words. If Thor was to become the next ruler, what did that leave him? What was he entitled to? He let his thoughts delve deeper, the battle he was engaged in fading into his subconscious. He realized that he never felt quite as comfortable around others as he would have liked to feel. Where does he belong, truly? Why does he feel so out of place?

 _"Only fate can decide in the end."_

Would fate really leave a star in the sky meant just for-

*CLONK*

The blade of Thor's sword made contact with the side of his brother's head, knocking him to the floor.

The older boy turned around to face an imaginary audience, thrusted his fists into the air and shouted, "Huzzah! Victory is mine at last!" He could practically hear the multitude of onlookers cheering and screaming his name. The enormous crowds were praising him and his valiant efforts. The only thing that eventually broke him out of this daydream was the sound of faint sniffling behind him. He turned back to face Loki, the smaller prince's eyes glassy with tears that he absolutely refused to shed, lest he lose his last shred of dignity remaining. He bit down on his lip to keep himself from crying out, and his hand covered the area on his head where the victor's sword made impact.

"What's the matter, brother?" Thor inquired. "Did I strike you down too hard?"

Loki's prideful spirit wouldn't allow him to answer this and make him appear weak, so instead he replied venomously, "You _always_ win, Thor!" He punctuated this by letting go of his minor head wound to pound his fist on the floor.

"If you're so upset about it, I can just let you win next time," Thor offered.

The raven-haired prince shook his head and glared at who he saw as the biggest idiot in the Nine Realms. "I don't want you to _let_ me win! Where is the fun and reward in that?!" He snapped back.

"Oh." Thor didn't think about that. Despite how much he loved to win their duels, he never realized how it made Loki feel. He didn't want to see his brother upset for who knows how long (Loki's grudges were a pain), so there was only one thing that he could do to repay him. Thor grinned and made another offer, "Will you feel better if I become your noble steed?"

The fury radiating from Loki's face soon dissipated as he considered this. He then smirked mischievously in return, saying, "But of course."

Thor lowered himself to his knees and bent over as he felt his brother clamber onto his back. They both shared a few giggles because they knew how utterly stupid yet incredibly fun this was. When they were secure, Thor rose to his feet and made his best impression of a whinnying horse, which didn't even sound close to a real horse. But they didn't care, because this only made the situation more comedic as they attempted and failed to suppress their laughter. The horse impersonator then took off and dashed throughout the palace, the rider clinging onto his steed's shoulders for dear life, yet he still laughed. Loki was enjoying himself too much now to continue thinking about whether or not he belonged in this place.

Unbeknownst to the princes, Frigga had been secretly observing the entire spectacle of that afternoon. She chuckled softly to herself, then she strode off elsewhere.

* * *

Evening was soon approaching when Loki's enthusiastic voice rang throughout the halls. "Please, Thor, faster!" He begged.

As Thor rounded the corner of the hall, he did the exact opposite of his brother's request. "No, we have been doing this for hours now. I'm starving and exhausted." He slowed to a stop and made Loki, who was grumbling disappointedly, detach himself from the older brother's sore back. Thor stalked off without looking back and stated, "I'm going to the kitchen in search of food."

Loki sighed in resignation as he stood alone in the hall. Now with nothing else to do, he supposed that he might as well find something to eat, too. But as he passed by his mother's room, he stopped when he heard his name being called. He turned and saw the queen beckoning him. Loki entered the room and was a couple of feet away from her when she suddenly vanished. He glanced around the room in shock and confusion, then he found her standing right behind him.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Frigga's lips as she said, "I have something to show you, Loki."

His emerald eyes glistened with intrigue in response.

* * *

 **Author's Note: This is the first part of my two-part story, so be sure to look out for the second part in a few days. Also, don't forget that Thor: Ragnarok came out on DVD today! Go get it now, it's awesome. That's actually the reason why I posted this story today... heh heh. And a friendly reminder that it's currently 52 days until Infinity War is unleashed! Obviously it will be less if you're reading this after the day I posted it, but you get the idea. Anyway, please drop a review if you like the story so far or if you simply have something non-flaming to say, and we shall reassemble soon! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to destroy Jotunheim... nah, just kidding.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I have returned with the second half of the story! I'll go ahead and say my disclaimers: I do not own these characters, the settings, or the main canonical plot of these settings and characters. Those properties belong to Marvel Studios and Stan Lee. However, I do own most of this story (more on that later), and I own it proudly. Now, onwards with the rest of the tale! For Asgard!**

* * *

Little Warriors of Asgard~ Part Two

"Do you really think it wise to challenge me again so soon, brother? 'Twas only yesterday that I defeated you."

"If I wasn't sure that my decision was wise, I would not be demanding another duel, would I?"

The small boys locked their gazes on each other in a silent confrontation as they grasped the handles of their play swords. Loki had approached Thor with the request of a rematch. The older prince did not doubt his own ability to win yet again, it was just that he found this situation quite curious. Whenever Thor succeeded in their games, Loki would usually refuse to replay it for a while, and sometimes they never played it again. For him to want to play the same game that he recently lost seemed… peculiar. Thor couldn't help but wonder what trick might possibly be up his brother's sleeve.

Curiosity finally got the better of Thor, so he raised his sword and said, "As you wish. Another battle it is."

Loki grinned back and lifted his sword as well. They stood for a moment longer before they launched into a vigorous competition not unlike the one they had the day before. Grunts and scuffling of feet on polished floors sounded throughout the palace. Also similar to the previous battle, the younger combatant was soon being overpowered by his rival.

Momentarily, Thor had his exasperated brother backed up against a wall, with no chance of escape. But Loki still defied his offender's attacks with what energy he had left. As they fought, Thor noticed that Loki seemed to sort of flick his wrist. The older prince assumed that perhaps he just struck it at some point, so he pushed the thought away.

Then the climax of the battle came as the boys had their wooden blades pressed against each other, neither willing to give in. Whoever prevailed in this moment would be the victor, and that person was looking more and more to be the blond. Just as he was about to win, though, Loki's eyes grew wide in fear as he gasped. "Thor, behind you!" He shouted.

Thor scoffed and replied, "I won't fall for that." But when Loki's expression didn't falter, he began to worry if there really was some threat just over his shoulder. As much as he didn't want to do it, he eventually turned to look behind him. He froze in surprise when he saw his own brother staring at him. Thor stammered, "W-wait, Loki? What in the-"

He was interrupted as a force barreled into his chest, pinning him to the floor and knocking the wind out of him. The point of a blade rested on his neck as he gazed upon Loki sitting on top of him, a prideful look shining on his face. Thor looked in the direction of his brother's duplicate, which dissolved into thin air. He turned back to his real brother (he knew this because of how Loki's full weight on his chest made it difficult to breathe) and demanded, "What was that?!"

"Magic!" Loki answered, enthusiasm evident on his face and in his voice. "Mother taught me! Isn't it fantastic?"

Instead of being impressed, Thor only glowered at him. "Cheating is what it is," he sneered. In one move, he shoved off his brother and stood up.

"Hey!" Loki exclaimed in protest, sitting up from where he was sprawled on the floor. He glared daggers at the back of his brother who was stomping away, silently hoping that he could make that stupid golden mane catch on fire. Loki then picked himself back up, still glaring with searing malice in the direction Thor went. "Well, I still won," he bitterly muttered. He too exited the room, but he deliberately left in the opposite direction.

* * *

Night had fallen over the kingdom. The whole evening had been tense, as the defiant princes refused to look each other in eye, sit next to each other at supper, or even respond to one another. Frigga attempted to ask what was wrong, but both of them would only tersely reply, "Nothing at all, Mother." This was obviously a lie, but she knew better than to push them too far.

Later that night, Thor laid awake in his bed, pondering the day's events. When he considered it, he supposed that there was really no other way Loki could have won. But using magic isn't how a warrior fights. On the other hand, he knew how desperate his brother was to be better than him at something. Perhaps magic was his talent, not just a cheating technique. Was I being too harsh towards him?

Thor's brow furrowed as he shook his head. He felt too tired to think about how justified Loki's actions were. And he was supposed to stay mad at him, if that's how his brother will most likely treat him the next day. In a few minutes, he began to succumb to the realm of slumber. Just as the haze of dreams started to swirl underneath his eyelids, a distant voice rang out.

" _THOR!_ " It screamed.

He impulsively sprang from his bed, recognizing his little brother's voice. But he stopped himself before leaving his room. This better not be another stupid prank. He was still tired, though, and Loki knew from experience not to disturb a drowsy Thor. The blue-eyed prince sighed and cloaked his red blanket over his shoulders for comfort and possibly protection should Loki be planning something. Let's go see what my scoundrel of a brother wants now. He trudged out into the dimly lit hall and took the all too familiar route to Loki's bedroom.

When he appeared in the room's doorway, he met a pale-faced boy, green eyes filled with pure terror. As Loki sat in his bed, slightly trembling and chest heaving, Thor grew concerned. Unlike what happened earlier today, this fear was obviously real.

"What happened?" Thor asked, taking a few cautious steps closer.

His brother opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead, he folded his hands in his lap and stared down at them, a shameful look growing on his face. "'Twas nothing," he replied.

"But you shouted out my name."

"I didn't mean to…" Loki mumbled, and he began to fiddle with his fingers. Over the years, Thor noticed this as a sign of his brother's anxiety.

"Brother, please tell me what happened."

The raven-haired boy looked up from his hands to glare at his brother and retort, "I'd rather not say."

Oh, no you don't. You're not about to shut me out again, not this time. Thor marched to his brother's bed and plopped himself down on it, returning Loki's glare with a steady gaze. "Let me rephrase that. You will tell me what happened. You woke me up, so I deserve to know."

Loki held his glare for a moment longer before grumbling and submitting to the older prince's demand. "Fine. I just had… a dream, that's all." He glanced at Thor, who raised his eyebrows as a silent way of asking him to elaborate. Loki groaned and continued, "It, erm, started out something like this…"

* * *

 _Loki found himself running in a lush green forest with summer sunbeams penetrating the foliage. Jogging just ahead of him was Thor, who was laughing as he glanced at him from over his shoulder. Today had good weather, so the brothers decided to have a race in the woods. Unsurprisingly, Thor was winning, but Loki didn't want to give up yet._

 _All was well until the blond suddenly stopped in his tracks, causing Loki to ram into his back. Thor only stumbled a little while the younger boy toppled down in the dirt._

 _"Thor!" Loki angrily shouted. "You thickhead, what's got into you?!"_

 _"Shhh," his brother said. "Do you hear something?"_

 _They both listened carefully to the world around them. Larks and sparrows and who knows what other birds were singing their melodies, squirrels' paws and woodpeckers' beaks scratched and pounded against tree bark, rabbits and mice rustled in the bushes…_

 _Thor spoke, "I hear other people just over there. I'm going to find them." He drew out a sword, which Loki stared at in surprise. Where had that come from? Thor smiled sheepishly at him and said, "I only brought it for defense, but please don't tell anyone. Stay here." He then dashed off, disappearing among the trees._

 _Loki was still trying to ponder what just happened. But then he smirked and thought aloud, "He's just trying to get a head start on me." He picked himself up from the leaf-littered ground and took off as fast as his legs would carry him in the same direction Thor went._

 _The younger prince grinned wider and shouted out, "I know what you're trying to do, brother, but you can't get away with it! Show yourself already!" But after a while, he received no response. Loki's grin gradually faded, and he slowed down and stopped. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't quite sure if Thor had come through here. Was Loki lost? He began to grow unsettled. In fact, an ominous tension seemed to settle over the forest. Loki realized it felt like this because the birds had stopped chirping, and the tree branches and bushes became dead silent. It was as if no living creature dared to make a single move._

 _"Thor…?" Loki called out tentatively._

 _It was already too late to react by the time he heard the shuffling of heavy boots around him. In an instant, a pair of strong, burly arms wrapped around him as three more figures came into view in front of him. They were speaking a language that he could not understand. Loki recognized these beings as Dark Elves, a malicious ancient race whom Frigga told him and Thor stories about. But he thought they were all vanquished, so why were they here?_

 _One of the Elves stepped forward and towered over Loki. The young prince tried his best to maintain his composure and not appear vulnerable to the heavily armored enemy._

 _The Elf spoke, this time in Loki's language, "What a pleasant surprise, finding you here. Little princes should not wander alone outside the palace, you know."_

 _"You are mistaken. I didn't come alone," Loki corrected, trying to keep his voice from quavering. "My older brother is here with me."_

 _The Elf's lips curved upward crookedly in what looked like his attempt at smiling. "Ah, you mean the feisty young sprite who used to own this-" from his belt, he pulled out the same sword Loki had seen Thor hold only a while before. The captive prince unintentionally let out a small gasp._

 _His enemies seemed to take pleasure in this as they snickered. The leader continued, "An interesting little foe, that boy was. He was still nothing but simple-minded scum in the end, though." He held out the sword to Loki. "I shall make you a deal. You may challenge me in a duel, and if you win, we will leave your people in peace. If I win, however, Asgard is mine. Do you believe you can prove your worth to your kingdom and defend it?"_

 _Loki's eyes remained fixated on his brother's sword, and he could feel his heart rate rapidly increasing. There was no way Thor could be dead. He could have run away. But then what? The Elves would have caught him anyway. Loki's breathing became shallow. How could he possibly defeat this Dark Elf if Thor didn't stand a chance? Loki wasn't a warrior, and he never would be. He won't become a leader or a ruler, there was no hope for him. Not in a world where he didn't belong. Fate has already decided this._

 _"I see you have declined my offer," the Elf said. He tossed the weapon aside and unsheathed another sword twice as long, its dark blade gleaming in the sunlight. Crimson splatters were clearly visible on the end of it. "I suppose this means farewell, royal runt," he growled as if he was a hungry predator, which in a way, he was._

 _Loki's captor shifted his grasp on him to just holding his arms behind his back. That way, the lead Elf had more room to strike. The others drew in a bit closer in anticipation. With a manic grin plastered on his face, the attacker raised his deadly weapon high above his head, cold eyes never leaving his squirming prey._

 _As much as Loki struggled desperately, the possibility of escape was beyond him. He couldn't fight. This was the end. But it couldn't be. Thor wouldn't allow this, he would never leave his brother behind. Loki had nothing else to hope for. As a last resort, he made a silent plea for mercy with his frightened jade eyes._

 _The Elf did not notice, or he simply did not care. The shadowy weapon swung down._

 _The instant before he could be sliced apart, Loki screamed at the top of his lungs…_

 _"THOR!"_

* * *

Thor could only ponder the end of this twisted nightmare in silence. It really did sound like a horrifying experience, especially since he himself was killed in it.

He asked his brother, "So you were afraid that you weren't able to defend Asgard or even yourself?"

Loki simply nodded, not saying a word.

Thor continued, "...And afraid that I wouldn't be there to protect you?"

At this, his younger brother's bottom lip quivered ever so slightly, unnoticeable to anyone except his own family. His eyes filled with tears, and one managed to slip out. Then another fell. The fact that Loki didn't immediately brush them away told Thor how serious this was. He had to think of some way to comfort him, but how?

Thor did the only thing he thought was logical at the moment. He placed his hands on Loki's shoulders and gently coaxed him to lay back down. "Don't worry, it was only a dream," the older prince said. But this seemed to worsen the issue, as Loki shed more tears and began to sniffle. Whatever that dream was about had some deeper meaning for Loki, but Thor didn't dare ask what it was. He knew that it would only end in catastrophe, with his brother this insecure.

Then Thor hatched another idea as to how to console him. He removed his beloved red blanket and draped it over his brother. "Here," he spoke. "You can have this. It will protect you when I'm not there to defend you myself. No harm will ever come to you, I promise." Thankfully, this actually worked. Loki gazed at his brother in unspoken gratitude, and his green eyes stopped spilling tears. This was as close to a thank you as he would ever give. Thor gave him a reassuring smile and turned to leave. But he stopped at the doorway, looked back at Loki and said, "You know, you could have used magic to trick those Dark Elves. I'm sure they would have been fooled by what you can do."

A tiny smirk cracked on Loki's face as he replied, "Maybe I will do just that, next time I meet them." It was a relief to see that he was already feeling better.

Thor chuckled and exited into the hall. Even though his brother was so unique in ways he couldn't comprehend, he was still his little brother, and he would be a great man. They would fight together some day, and they would go down in history. He had faith in him, in them.

As Loki lay in bed, tightly clutching the scarlet cloth he was nestled under, he knew that he could and would succeed, no matter what he was told or where he was supposed to be. He and Thor would both become legendary in their own ways, and in some other ways when they work together. Whatever the future held for him, he was sure they would be ready. He recalled the words that used to haunt him so much, spoken by his own mother.

 _"Only fate can decide in the end."_

Well, fate better know that they are Thor and Loki of Asgard, sons of Odin, powerful warriors in their own right. And where they definitely did belong was in the midnight diamond-filled sky of the universe, along with all the other extraordinary Asgardians before them.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Back to when I said that most of this story was mine. I first got inspiration to write this when I saw a heart-shattering post on Pinterest. I developed the story quite a lot from it, so at this point, the Pin only contains one small part of my story. Still, I have to give credit to whoever made the Pin. Here's the URL:** **pin/723672233846927984/**

 **So, did any of you catch the foreshadow to what happens in The Dark World in the last thing Thor and Loki said in this story? I'll admit that it was unintentional when I wrote it, but when I noticed it, I felt so proud of myself. LOL**

 **Also, as of today, it's only 47 days until Infinity War! Yep, "only"... gosh, I can't bear waiting anymore. Please Marvel, tell me that Loki won't die. TELL ME!**

 **And finally, thank you so much for taking your time to read my story! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I'd really appreciate it if you left a review, whether you just want to say that you liked it or if you have something else non-flaming to say. I'm listening. Okay, I'm done with the character quote puns... for now. :) Let's reassemble soon!**


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